The Dutch public transport ombudsman says travellers should not have to pay to renew their public transport smart card (ov-chipkaart) when it expires, broadcaster Nos says on Monday.

The cards expire after five years and users have to pay €7.50 to buy a new one. In addition, people with anonymous cards have to send back the old card and provide bank account information to the NS to reclaim any money left on the card.

TransLink, which operate the ov-chipkaart system, says the cards have to be renewed every five years because they can become porous and break. In addition, the security technology embedded in the card needs updating.

The ombudsman says the cost of replacing the cards should be incorporated into the cost of using trams and buses. Giving users a new card automatically would save ‘a lot of paperwork and irritation’, the ombudsman said.